Another Hot & Dry Week

Before this week is over (it is Friday already!), let me quickly write up last week. It was once again hot with the coolest day at 30C/86F and the hottest at 35C/95F and not a drop of rain. I hardly went walking other than what was necessary to shop for groceries or to get to and from train stations. There were two birthday parties to attend, plus the solar eclipse to watch.

On Monday (10 August), I arrived home from Offenburg with a half hour delay. It didn't really matter, as I had no appointments or calls lined up, but just worked at my own pace with an early afternoon nap in between. My flat wasn't overly hot and stuffy because of course I had pulled all the blinds down and windows shut to keep the heat out while I was away for the weekend, and was home still early enough to let some fresh air in before it got too hot.

Tuesday (11 August) was the coolest day of the week, starting at a lovely 18C/64F and getting to a mere 30C/86F during the day. I managed a sunset walk of about an hour on the fields that evening.

It was not only my Mum's birthday on Wednesday (12 August) - she turned 82 - but also the Solar Eclipse. 

Photos taken earlier that day at my Mum's by my sister, who brought her the flowers.

Mum on her balcony

I worked at the office in Weilimdorf and, once I was back in Ludwigsburg, met up with my sister to walk to the beer garden where my Mum was celebrating her birthday. 

Crossing the inner courtyard of Ludwigsburg Palace was the quickest way to get to the beer garden.

I don't go anywhere without my fan these days!

There were 7 of us (a couple couldn't make it), and my Mum had wisely ordered the special specs you need to observe the eclipse. Many people had left it too late and found that the specs were sold out everywhere, but my Mum is good at organising things, and she brought enough for all of us.

In the end, only my sister and I walked up the road a little (you couldn't see the sun under the large old trees in the beer garden) and watched the entire "show" - of course all in our Mum's honour :-) Two other guests joined us for the last ten minutes, but my Mum and another couple of guests stayed at the table; they simply weren't all that interested in the eclipse. We found it quite impressive, though, and had a really good view from where we stood in the street.

On Thursday (13 August), I worked from home and left the house only briefly to get a few things from Aldi. 

Friday (14 August) was busy: Because it was going to be another hot day, I cleaned my flat in the morning and also swept the staircase in our house (4 levels), so that I would be finished before the thermometer climbed to 35C/95F again. After that, I worked at my desk until lunch time, while also boiling pasta and preparing the other ingredients´for a salad to eat in the evening .

I went briefly to my Mum for an errand, and later in the afternoon to my neighbour so that she could hand me her keys. The family are away now for two weeks, and I am looking after their cat and two rabbits, house plants and mail like I already did at the end of May/start of June.

My husband arrived at around 10:00 pm, and we ate some of the pasta salad before heading into town, where the annual Wine Fest (Weinlaube) was in full swing.

The logo projected onto the back of Townhall; the Weinlaube takes place in the courtyard by the building in the middle of town.

We listened to the live music (which wasn't brilliant but not too bad, either) and had a drink. While we were queuing for another drink, I told O.K. of a former class mate and at one time close friend whom I had not seen in a while but wouldn't be surprised to bump into here at the fest. Guess what - with our drinks in hand, we walked to find a place when I spotted the very same person I had just been talking about! Sandy and I hugged and laughed when I told her that I'd practically conjured her up. She introduced us to the man she was with, and we chatted for quite some time until we really, really were tired and ready to go home; it was about 1:30 pm when we were back at my flat.

On Saturday (15 August), I took advantage of the cooler morning air to walk to the bakery for some fresh rolls and croissants for our breakfast. We went for a walk after that, followed by a rest at home.

The neighbours had left mid-morning, still taking care of their pets themselves, so I only needed to start my carer duties in the evening. 

Neo on the door mat in front of his house, a favourite place of his. He is one year old this month.

After that, we changed into nicer clothes; my sister arrived, and the three of us walked the ten minutes or so it took us to reach the Italian restaurant where a friend of ours was celebrating his 70th birthday. The food there was excellent, the service professional and friendly, and the conversation at the table (there were 11 of us) free-flowing. It was a really nice evening, and the heat just about bearable under the large umbrellas in the restaurant's garden.

Sunday (16 August) morning saw me back at the bakery. After breakfast, O.K. and I went for a walk in what goes for "woods" (it is hardly more than a copse) at the southern end of town.

In the early afternoon, we went to see my Mum; later at home, we had a little snack of diced cheese, nuts and crackers with a non-alcholic Crodino Spritz, followed by a bowl of pasta salad each and some delicious ice cream for dessert (Magnum "Crackables" Pistachio, if you want to know). 

When O.K. left at round 8:00 pm for the long drive home, I went to look after my four-legged charges once more; Neo the cat had been there only in the morning. I didn't see him again that night but he had obviously been in, since his food dish was empty. I made sure that he'd find fresh food when he'd come home, and then called it a day (and a week).